UF still reviewing application of ex-UK surgeon

Published: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 6:00 p.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, August 6, 2013 at 6:26 p.m.

University of Florida Health Shands Hospital is continuing to review the application of Dr. Mark Plunkett, a cardiothoracic surgeon from the University of Kentucky who has come under recent scrutiny following a CNN report last weekend on the UK hospital's insistence on shielding the infant mortality rate of the surgery department that Plunkett led.

"Our review of Dr. Plunkett's application is ongoing as we continue to follow our standard processes," Dr. Tim Flynn, the chief medical officer of Shands, said in an email. "His hiring is contingent in part on his obtaining a Florida medical license and completing our credentialing process, which has not yet occurred."

The surgery program at UK was suspended late last year for reasons that have not been entirely publicly disclosed. However, UK executive vice president for health affairs Dr. Michael Karpf told CNN he suspended the program because the mortality rates weren't what he wanted them to be.

The hospital has refused to release those rates, citing patient privacy. The university appealed the state supreme court opinion in Kentucky that the rates should be released. That opinion came at the prompting of a local journalist.

On Monday, more than 250 people signed an online petition urging the university to release the information, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

At least two patients who Plunkett operated on died between August 2012 and October, and two others had postoperative complications and had to have follow-up procedures elsewhere, CNN reported. Plunkett went on paid leave for a month and then resigned from the hospital late last year.

Both the CEO of Shands HealthCare and the chief medical officer for Shands told The Sun last month they were aware of the situation at UK and had talked to many physicians in Kentucky about Plunkett, all of whom spoke highly of him.

<p>University of Florida Health Shands Hospital is continuing to review the application of Dr. Mark Plunkett, a cardiothoracic surgeon from the University of Kentucky who has come under recent scrutiny following a CNN report last weekend on the UK hospital's insistence on shielding the infant mortality rate of the surgery department that Plunkett led.</p><p>"Our review of Dr. Plunkett's application is ongoing as we continue to follow our standard processes," Dr. Tim Flynn, the chief medical officer of Shands, said in an email. "His hiring is contingent in part on his obtaining a Florida medical license and completing our credentialing process, which has not yet occurred."</p><p>The surgery program at UK was suspended late last year for reasons that have not been entirely publicly disclosed. However, UK executive vice president for health affairs Dr. Michael Karpf told CNN he suspended the program because the mortality rates weren't what he wanted them to be.</p><p>The hospital has refused to release those rates, citing patient privacy. The university appealed the state supreme court opinion in Kentucky that the rates should be released. That opinion came at the prompting of a local journalist.</p><p>On Monday, more than 250 people signed an online petition urging the university to release the information, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.</p><p>At least two patients who Plunkett operated on died between August 2012 and October, and two others had postoperative complications and had to have follow-up procedures elsewhere, CNN reported. Plunkett went on paid leave for a month and then resigned from the hospital late last year.</p><p>Both the CEO of Shands HealthCare and the chief medical officer for Shands told The Sun last month they were aware of the situation at UK and had talked to many physicians in Kentucky about Plunkett, all of whom spoke highly of him.</p><p><i>Contact Kristine Crane at 338-3119 or kristine.crane@gvillesun.com.</i></p>